Good article.

Brad


At 06:39 PM 12/5/2005 -0700, you wrote:
>George recently got DSL in the little town where they live.  I have not
>talked to him on the phone for probably three weeks or maybe longer.  His
>wife still doesn't want him calling or communicating with me.  Yes, she
>still checks on his emails to see who he has been writing to.  George,
>however, seems to be doing very well.  He has been working for the passed
>three months or so at Walmart and seems to be getting along pretty well over
>all.  As is so often the case, this time of year likely won't be too easy
>for them since this will be their daughters first Christmas in Heaven.
>Below is an article George just wrote.  I've posted it on my website, too.
>
>Do We Really Believe and Why Not?
>
>      I am writing this with the true attitude of how some of us
>believe, but do not show or really say but keep it buried,
>sometimes possibly for years, until we finally crack. I will say
>that all in this article is based on true life experiences.
>
>      First I want to address the issue of Jesus Christ as our Lord
>and personal savior. I have been saved since I was 18 years old
>and am 48 years old now. I will give you a brief history of my
>life and will get to the jest of the article.
>
>      When I was 16 my brother Bill was killed in a motorcycle
>accident in Fontana California. He was soon to be 18 in 6 days. My
>father who's name was also Bill died when I was 23 and he was 64
>and he died of Cancer. My mother Alice died when I was 28 of
>pulmonary embolism to the right lung she was 67.  Needless to say
>this was the beginning of a 3 year spiral of depression that was
>keeping me at the point of suicide constantly. I, as do many
>Christians, just tried to tough it out and get over it. The
>depression didn't lift until I was 46 years old but deep down I
>constantly had a nagging of my real true relationship with the
>Lord and didn't know why.  Well next was my sister Jeanne who
>passed away of upper raspatory cancer when I was 46 she was 62.
>Now the straw that broke the camel's back was my daughter Jennifer
>that passed away April 11th 2005 she was 23 I am 48. Where is
>Jesus? I said where is Jesus? Many of you have been where I have
>been and are under so much stress and depression you just can't
>stand it anymore.
>
>      Let me give you the intent of my article. The Apostles, after
>Jesus had been crucified were so depressed and scared they locked
>themselves in a room. Sounds like what I did. The reason they did
>this is because they thought Jesus was dead and all there hopes
>were dashed to pieces. Read the Gospels and you will find this is
>true. Even though they had walked with him for 3 and a half years
>they were still scared. Why? I will tell you why. They needed a
>personal encounter with the Lord. Not just someone telling them
>about him like Mary Magdalene did. She said I have seen the Lord
>they did not believe her. the 2 men on the road to Emmaus saw him
>and reported what they saw. They still didn't believe. When did
>the Apostles believe? When Jesus appeared to them in the locked
>room where they were and, Bingo!  They believed because they saw
>him and were overjoyed he was alive and then they could believe
>everything else he had said. Do you think Jesus was upset because
>they had to see him to believe? Absolutely not.
>
>      Now let's consider another area that preacher's and
>minister's have truly, yes I said truly crippled the body of
>Christ. By saying things like if you need to see Jesus then, bless
>God, you don't believe. Or we walk by faith and not by sight and
>if you have to see to believe then you're not a real Christian. Or
>they will say and talk about him as if he was the only one that
>did not believe. None of them believed until they saw him. Even
>Paul the Apostle didn't believe until he saw him.  Let's go back
>to the Apostles and realize that after they saw Him, they
>believed. What is wrong with you and I seeing Jesus in this
>present day? Absolutely  nothing. I have asked him many times to
>see him and just the other night  an angel appeared on my side of
>the bed while I was asleep and my wife  saw it. Churches are
>crippling the body of Christ by preaching that we  don't need
>experiences with Jesus just believe.  It's not right. He is  no
>respecter of person's. If he wanted to appear to the Apostles he
>wants to appear to you. If you are at a place where I am at now
>with all  the death that has occurred, then just tell him Lord I
>need to see to  believe.  Forget about what anybody says and even
>what your church  teaches. Go to Jesus personally and tell him
>what you need. I always  thought he would get mad at me for asking
>something like that. Guess who  taught me that rubbish? You
>guessed it all the well meaning ministers  and preachers. My
>daughter's passing was the catalyst that almost drove  me out of
>my mind and caused me to fall into depression so severe.
>
>      I  have went through 2 years of intercessory prayer with my
>friend Phil  Scovell and Jesus came and gave me truth and expelled
>the lies of the  enemy. He even appeared to me in many of the
>prayer sessions which was a  great relief to me. If I hadn't gone
>through that I surely would have  committed suicide at the passing
>of my daughter. I never dreamed we would  be without our
>daughter. Yes she is in Heaven but you know I live here  and it's
>tough without her. And I will tell you why. I am not Mr.
>Spiritual as some try to be and then crash and burn. I have told
>the  Lord I need to see you like the Apostles saw you and he is
>not mad at me  and I am not ashamed to have asked him. I pray this
>will take some of  you to a place you will ask the Lord to give
>you what you need because  you are struggling so hard. If you want
>to call my friend Phil and ask  him about me please do so. He has
>been where I have been also.
>
>      Now for  the scriptural references to prove what I have said:
>
>Luke 24 the whole chapter  John 20 and 21 the whole chapter  Mark
>16 the whole chapter  Acts chapter 9 the whole chapter  1st
>Corinthians 9:1  Acts 7:55-60.
>
>Sincerely;  Your faithful brother and servant to Jesus,
>
>George S. Roberts
>
>Victory Isn't Something You Have; It Is Who You Are.
>www.SafePlaceFellowship.com

Brad

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